ALMATY – Since its establishment in 2023, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has signed four agreements and 20 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with international partners, attracting over $14 million in grants to develop the country’s water sector.
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The ministry has forged partnerships with water agencies and development organizations from China, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain to implement projects aimed at improving water management.
In December last year, the ministry, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM) signed a trilateral cooperation agreement on preserving Lake Balkhash, reported Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation on Aug. 14.
The initiative includes a joint study of the lake’s basin, funded by a €1.35 million (US$1.47 million) grant, to develop a master plan for its conservation. In June, the Balkhash district in the Almaty Region hosted a large-scale field expedition organized by the ministry and a French scientific consortium, with participation from Kazakh research institutes and local authorities.
In March, Kazakhstan and China signed an MOU to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sustainable use of water resources, introduce modern technologies, exchange experience and jointly train specialists. This year, 121 Kazakh water sector professionals are undergoing training in China, with around 200 more expected to participate next year.
Kazakhstan also signed MOUs with the Netherlands on flood management and specialist training. The first document focuses on sharing expertise in regulating and utilizing floodwaters, drawing from the Dutch experience in river flow management. The second, signed with the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, outlines cooperation in professional training, research, and innovative water technologies.
As part of these agreements, Dutch experts have conducted training seminars in Kazakhstan on flood risk management, while the Delft-FEWS digital platform is being used to develop the country’s flood forecasting and modeling system.
Japan’s government has pledged approximately $2 million to improve flood prevention measures in Kazakhstan through comprehensive dam management. Meanwhile, Spain plans to allocate a grant for researching underground water deposits in western Kazakhstan.
“These and other international agreements are aimed at ensuring the timely and effective implementation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions,” said Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
